A Magic Steeped in Poison

As Lian and Ning continue working in the kitchens, they are warned not to displease Steward Yang. One servant, a woman named Mingwen, complains about the worthless nobles. Another servant arrives with complaints from Marquis Kuang about the service he has received.

When Steward Yang arrives, Lian hides, leaving Ning alone. Yang orders Qing’er and Ning to take new pastries to the marquis, believing Ning to be a newly hired servant. Afraid to correct her, Ning plays along and helps Qing’er carry a basket of pastries to the marquis’ quarters.

As Ning delivers the pastries, she worries that the marquis will recognize her from the contest last night. There is a party atmosphere in his quarters, which are overrun with musicians, young women, food, and alcohol. Many of the wealthier shennong-tu, including Shao, are fraternizing with the judges, and Ning is furious at the blatant cheating.

One of the competitors looks up as Ning delivers the pastries. Believing her to be a servant, he tries to grab her, but when he threatens her, the marquis tells him to treat the palace servants with respect. One of the judges, the Esteemed Qian, also admonishes the shennong-tu, reminding him that if he wins the competition, he can have this luxurious life forever, but he should behave until then. Ning escapes the room, disgusted.

She grows angry with Lian when she returns to their residence, then explains what she saw in the Marquis’s quarters. Lian warns Ning that every aspect of Jia is immersed in politics and intrigue, especially among the shennong-shi from wealthy, powerful families. Ning insists that their magic should be used to help people, not to gain power.

That night, Ning cannot sleep, so she wanders outside into a nearby courtyard and climbs up onto the roof to sit. Eventually, she sees a figure moving in the dark, heading toward the girls’ residence. Fearing that it is the Shadow, Ning follows, preparing to attack.

She tackles the figure, who quickly gains the upper hand. It is Bo—or, as she knows now, Kang. She recalls his lies and demands to know what he is doing there. He explains that he came to apologize for his behavior at the teahouse and says that he approached her in the city because he wanted to pretend that he was just a boy who was “not bound by [his] family history” (100); he was also touched by her kindness. He wanted to find her and make amends in case Zhen decides to execute him. Ning asks about his father. She already knows that Li Yuan (often called the General of Kailang) was banished to Luzhou, the Emerald Isles, after his failed coup against his brother, the emperor. However, she wants to know more. Kang refuses to speak about his father and insists on returning to his room before someone notices that he is missing. He asks to see her again the following night.

Servants bring breakfast to the girls’ residence. Qing’er and Mingwen are among the attendants, and Lian invites them to sit. Qing’er asks if the shennong-shi can heal all sicknesses or make men stronger. Lian says that her teacher specializes in brews that strengthen and fortify, but this power is limited. Ning adds that the magic that a person takes in through the tea draws strength from either the shennong-shi or the client; it cannot be sustained forever. She warns, “[T]he more you ask of the magic […] the more it takes” (105). Those who use it for too long can injure or even kill themselves.

Yang arrives, angry with Lian and Ning for their interference in the kitchens. Qing’er, who is her grandson, merely laughs at her irritation. Yang threatens to tell Minister Song about the girls’ behavior. Ning counters by describing the cheating that she saw in the Marquis’s rooms and threatens to spread that news as well. Yang backs down.

Suddenly, Ning senses illness in Yang. Yang admits to a headache that will not go away. Hoping to make peace, Ning brews her a medicinal tea. As Yang drinks it, Ning feels a sharp pain in her own head, as if she is absorbing Yang’s illness. She recalls her mother providing similar treatments, but she had never experienced this firsthand. Through the connection between herself and Yang, she can sense that the source of Yang’s headache is her intense anxiety about her daughter.

Yang explains that her daughter is one of the emperor’s handmaidens. When the emperor became ill last winter, his personal servants were shut inside with him in the inner residence. She has not seen or heard from her daughter in six months. Ning comforts Yang while brewing a second tea to ease her anxiety. She offers it along with a small candy to help counteract the bitterness of the blend. After Yang drinks it, she asks to speak with Ning privately. Alone, Yang reveals that she knew Ning’s mother, Wu Yiting. Yiting worked in a palace as a midwife but eventually left. Yang asks about Yiting, and Ning explains the circumstances of her death.

As payment for treating her headache, and because she respected Ning’s mother, Yang promises to help Ning and Lian with the test. She explains that the next test will involve a special tea called Silver Needle. She will obtain a small sample for them to practice with.

Later, Ning and Lian research Silver Needle, a rare and expensive tea “known for its thin, slender leaves covered with the lightest layer of silver fuzz” (120). It works as a truth serum, though its efficacy depends on the wielder and on the determination of the drinker to hide the truth. After dinner, they return to their residence to find a small packet of tea waiting for them. It is just enough for each girl to brew one cup.

Late that night, Ning meets Kang in the courtyard. He asks for her real name, and she hesitates. She asks if he is responsible for poisoning the tea. His shock and denial at the accusation seem genuine. He explains that he has come to beg the emperor to help his people. He offers to prove his honesty, and Ning decides to test the Silver Needle tea on him. Ning brews the tea, and Kang drinks it.

Again, Ning asks if Kang is the Shadow, and again he denies it. A mist forms around them, and they hold hands. Ning can sense in the mist that he is telling the truth. She asks why he has come.

A vision appears of Kang and Zhen playing as children, then another of their older selves in a garden. In the vision, Zhen asks why Kang has returned. He insists that he is loyal to the emperor and only wants to ask him to reconsider their exile. Zhen orders him to drink tea with her. He balks, afraid. Her handmaiden, Ruyi, threatens him. Angry, Kang drinks the tea and asks again to see the emperor, insisting that it is “a matter of life and death” (130). Zhen retorts, “Whose life? […] And whose death?” (130).

Kang pulls his hand away, and the vision fades. Ning feels certain that he does not intend any harm to Zhen, so she finally tells him her real name. However, the connection is not completely gone. Ning sees another flash of Kang and Zhen discussing the emperor’s death, but Kang warns her not to reveal what she knows, or she might be killed. He adds that he left Luzhou without his father’s knowledge, hoping to make peace—or, if necessary, to present himself as a hostage in order to secure his people’s safety. He hopes that Zhen will be different from her father, but he will do what he must if she is not. The people of Luzhou are warriors and may resort to rebellion. Ning fears the thought of war but selfishly concludes that she does not care what happens as long as her sister Shu is safe.

The next day, the competitors gather with the judges for the next test. This round is not public. Zhen observes while Minister Song and Marquis Kuang present the next challenge. The competitors will each brew and serve tea to a tea maid, who will in turn serve five cups of tea to the competitor. Four of those cups will contain poison. The competitor must choose the single safe cup to drink. Their only help is the tea they have been given to brew, which they must work out for themselves how to use.

Tea maids emerge, each of whom is assigned to a different shennong-tu. Ning looks at the tea she has been given and realizes that it is not Silver Needle, as Steward Yang said it would be. She cannot say anything, however, or she will reveal that she received help. Thinking quickly, Ning pretends to trip.